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PODCAST

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy for Directors and Managers

Feeling stuck in your career? Passed over for promotion? Struggling with leadership challenges that no one prepared you for? You're not alone—and you don't have to navigate these crossroads by yourself. Crossroads & Catalysts is the executive leadership podcast for directors, senior managers, and ambitious professionals ready to advance their careers with strategic clarity and confidence. Shenita Brown, an executive and leadership strategist, delivers actionable career advice, proven

business careers

All Episodes

17:48

How Do I Get People to Take Me Seriously as a New...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/03/02

If you're building your new manager leadership skills and looking for career strategies that actually work, this episode is for you. One of the most common leadership frameworks for managers getting started in a new role is to come in projecting authority, having all the answers, and proving you belong — and it backfires every time. Through two personal stories from my own leadership journey, I break down what it truly means to be taken seriously as a leader — and why earning credibility has

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14:56

Want to Lead Well in Your First 90 Days? Own Your Vision

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/02/23

New manager leadership skills are put to the test in months 2-3 of your role. In this final episode of the First 90 Days series, I guide women in leadership and all new leaders through the critical transition from observation to ownership. You're 60 days into your new leadership role—and the dysfunction you noticed isn't going away. In this final episode of the First 90 Days series, I reveal how to transition from observation to ownership in months 2-3.As you approach the three-month mark,

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16:08

Want to Lead Well in Your First 90 Days? Assess and...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/02/16

Master month two of your first 90 days as a new leader. This episode delivers career strategies and leadership tactics for assessment, alignment, and turning chaos into clarity. Learn the critical difference between observation and evaluation, why SWOT analysis is an essential tool for analyzing both teams and operational systems, and the right time to share your findings with your boss. Get actionable leadership & career guidance for navigating your critical transition period, plus

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20:46

Want to Lead Well in Your First 90 Days? Start Here

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/02/09

New manager leadership skills are critical in your first 90 days—but not in the way you think. This episode explores essential leadership frameworks for managers stepping into their first leadership role or transitioning to a new management position. Learn why listening, learning, and building relationships matter more than making immediate changes, and discover proven strategies for new leaders to establish credibility without alienating their team. In Part 1 of this 3-part series, I break down

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20:45

The Leader vs Contributor Paradox: Why Your Technical...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/02/02

New manager leadership skills require a fundamental shift—but most leaders struggle to make it. Instead of applying leadership frameworks to guide their teams, they stay buried in the technical work they're most comfortable with. If you're a leader who can't seem to stop being a contributor, this episode reveals why—and what to do about it.You got promoted because you were excellent at the work. But now that you're leading, you're still doing that work instead of leading others

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18:36

Leading Without Clear Direction

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/01/26

You've been hired to lead, but no one's told you where you're going. You ask about strategy, goals, priorities—and get vague answers or silence. Yet somehow, you're still expected to deliver results, demonstrate initiative, and make the right calls. Sound familiar?In this episode, we tackle one of leadership's most common but rarely discussed challenges: leading without clear direction. We'll explore why unclear expectations create conflict, the psychological toll of

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19:39

Want to Build a High-Performing Team? Start Here

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/01/19

You just got your first team. Everyone's telling you to build a "high-performing team"—but what does that actually mean? If your team members are good at their jobs and hit their targets, isn't that enough? Here's what most new manager leadership skills training won't tell you: a high-performing team isn't just talented individuals doing good work. It's something more—and if you're feeling like something's missing but can't quite name it, this episode

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17:44

Struggling to Lead Your Team? The Problem Might Be...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/01/12

Great leaders know when to lead and when to follow. In this episode, we explore the critical skill of followership—the willingness to adopt the best solution to a problem, even when it's not your idea. Many leaders struggle with this transition, undermining team collaboration and innovation in the process. Discover three key signs of poor followership that might be holding you back from being an effective leader. Using a powerful dance metaphor, this episode reveals how collaboration works

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17:10

When Leadership Finds You - But you didn’t Choose it:...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2026/01/05

Not everyone who becomes a leader actively pursues the role. In this episode, we explore the critical difference between circumstantial leadership and deliberate leadership—and why understanding which path you're on matters for your success and satisfaction.If you were promoted into management because of your technical skills, seniority, or simply because a position opened up, you might be a circumstantial leader navigating challenges you never anticipated. From people management struggles to

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24:27

Is Your Leadership Style Characterized by These 3...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/12/29

Are you a director or manager struggling with team retention, low morale, or leadership challenges you can't quite pinpoint? In this episode, I break down the three core patterns of bad boss behavior that drive good employees away—and explore whether these patterns might be showing up in your own leadership style.Whether you've been passed over for promotion, are facing leadership development gaps, or find yourself at a career crossroads, understanding these patterns is essential for

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19:44

The Indispensability Tax: Why Never Taking Time Off...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/12/22

In this episode, we're talking about The Indispensability Tax—the hidden cost leaders pay when they refuse to take time off. If you're skipping vacations, struggling with vacation guilt, and wearing your exhaustion like a trophy, you're not building loyalty or proving your value. You're creating a fragile organization and fast-tracking leadership burnout.Here's the uncomfortable truth: your "dedication" might be insecurity in disguise. Your refusal to take PTO is teaching

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16:19

New Year, New Leadership Clarity: Why You Might Want...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/12/15

New Year, New Leadership Clarity: Why You Might Want to Quit Leading As the year winds down, it's time for honest reflection: Why do you really want to be a leader? This episode challenges you to look beyond the romanticized version of leadership examine your true motivations. Leadership is a responsibility that will stretch and shape you. Whether you're considering your first management role or eyeing executive leadership, this is your moment to pause and ask the hard questions. What does

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17:40

Leadership Lesson: Psychological Safety Saves Lives —...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/12/08

Leadership Lesson: Psychological Safety Saves Lives -And It Can Save Your Workplace Too If your team avoids speaking up, hesitates to share ideas, or shuts down during tough conversations, psychological safety may be missing. In this episode, we explore what effective leaders do differently and why building a culture of psychological safety is essential for leadership development, team communication, and employee engagement. You'll learn how psychological safety drives better performance in

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15:49

Why Leaders Avoid Change (And What It's Costing Your...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/12/01

Why Leaders Avoid Change (And What It's Costing Your Credibility) Why do leaders avoid necessary change even when their teams bring solutions? The uncomfortable truth: you're not stalling because of timing or resources—you're stalling because accepting change feels like admitting your way wasn't working. For managers building leadership skills and credibility, understanding why you resist change is critical for career advancement and team trust. In this executive brief, discover why

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24:39

Why Your Team Isn’t A High Performing One— (Even...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/11/24

Why Your Team Isn’t A High Performing One— (Even Though Everyone’s Capable) Think you have a high-performing team? Here's an uncomfortable truth: 70-80% of leaders believe they lead high-performing teams, but only 20-30% of employees agree. For managers building leadership skills and team management capabilities, this perception gap is destroying your credibility and career advancement. If your team has capable people but isn't delivering exceptional results, the problem isn't your

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22:49

Did Your 'Authenticity' Just Cost You a Promotion?

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/11/17

Did Your 'Authenticity' Just Cost You a Promotion? Are you using authenticity as an excuse for unprofessional behavior? For managers and leaders building leadership skills and executive presence, understanding the difference between authentic leadership and unprofessional conduct is critical for career advancement and leadership development. Authenticity has become the workplace buzzword everyone loves—until someone uses it to justify rudeness, emotional dumping, or lack of professional

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21:57

Is Your Workplace Toxic or Are You Being Too...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/11/10

Is Your Workplace Toxic or Are You Being Too Sensitive? Here's How to TellIs your workplace culture deteriorating and destroying team performance? Toxic workplace environments kill productivity, drive away top talent, and damage leadership credibility. For managers navigating toxic culture and building leadership skills in difficult environments, knowing how to recognize and address workplace toxicity is essential for career advancement. In this executive brief, discover the five warning signs

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21:27

Ep. 36 How to Give Feedback That Actually Changes...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/11/03

How to Give Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior: The Leadership Communication Skill Most Leaders MissYou've given the same feedback three times, and nothing's changed. The problem isn't your team—it's your feedback. In this executive brief, discover the proven framework for giving feedback that actually drives behavior change, why most leadership feedback fails, and how to communicate with clarity that sticks. Learn the specific communication techniques that separate effective

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22:22

Ep. 35 Concise Leadership Communication: How to Stop...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/10/27

Concise Leadership Communication: How to Stop Talking So Much and Get to the PointDo people's eyes glaze over when you start talking? Are your team meetings running long because you can't communicate concisely? Long-winded communication is destroying your leadership credibility and executive presence faster than you realize. Concise communication isn't just a nice-to-have skill—it's an essential leadership competency that separates effective leaders from those who ramble. In this

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22:15

Ep. 34 The 5 Enemies of Effective Leadership (and How...

Crossroads + Catalysts: Leadership & Career Strategy... ·

2025/10/20

The 5 Enemies of Effective Leadership (and How to Defeat Them)Working hard as a leader but not getting the results or respect you deserve? Five internal enemies are quietly sabotaging your leadership effectiveness—and most leaders don't even realize they're losing the battle. In this executive brief, discover the five biggest threats to leadership success: indecisiveness, ego, ineffective communication, lack of awareness, and avoidance of conflict. Learn why these leadership mistakes destroy

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